Technical Field
Embodiments disclosed herein are related to systems and methods for managing switching devices in an information handling system. In particular, embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for managing switching devices in an information handling system that allow for the switching devices to be managed by a controller that automatically and/or with user input manages the switching devices without the need to access the switching devices.
Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Computer networks form the interconnection fabric that enables reliable and rapid communications between computer systems and data processors that are in both close proximity to each other and at distant locations. These networks create a vast spider web of intranets and internets for handling all types of communication and information. Making all of this possible is a vast array of network switching devices that make forwarding decisions in order to deliver packets of information from a source system or first network node to a destination system or second network node. Due to the size, complexity, and dynamic nature of these networks, sophisticated network switching devices are often required to continuously make forwarding decisions and to update forwarding and/or flow processing information as network configurations change. Some information handling systems use a software to facilitate the management of the switching devices by making forwarding decisions, and update the forwarding and flow processing. However, existing software-based switching device management still requires the need to access and monitor the switching device in order to monitor the connectivity of the switching device to a controller that implements the software-based management. Consequently, there is a need for systems and methods for managing a switching device that can allow the switching device to be managed throughout its lifetime from a controller, without the need to access the switching device.
In the drawings, elements having the same designation have the same or similar functions.